Contextualising learning for a real-world university: how an inverted curriculum in the first year can help better student retention

An identified issue within higher education is the high rates of student attrition after the first year, especially in the STEM disciplines. To address this issue, it is essential to reexamine and redesign the first year curriculum to engage and retain the students' interests while also scaffolding their learning experience. This session reports on an initiative based on the principles of the “inverted curriculum” within the Bachelor of Technology (BIT) course at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) that began in 2009 and has resulted in a reduction in first-year attrition rates from 18% in 2008 to 10% in 2009 and 2010 despite a growth in student intake of 15% to 40% in the past two years. We present the process and methods that helped achieve this and initiate a discussion on the innovations that are possible within this concept of inverted curriculum and how it can be implemented.

A world map of knowledge in the making : Wikipedia's Inter-Language Linkage as a dependency explorer of global knowledge accumulation

Analysis of Wikipedia's inter-language links provides insight into a new mechanism of knowledge sharing and linking worldwide.

Towards spontaneous facial expression recognition in real-world video

Facial expression is an important channel of human social communication. Facial expression recognition (FER) aims to perceive and understand emotional states of humans based on information in the face. Building robust and high performance FER systems that can work in real-world video is still a challenging task, due to the various unpredictable facial variations and complicated exterior environmental conditions, as well as the difficulty of choosing a suitable type of feature descriptor for extracting discriminative facial information. Facial variations caused by factors such as pose, age, gender, race and occlusion, can exert profound influence on the robustness, while a suitable feature descriptor largely determines the performance. Most present attention on FER has been paid to addressing variations in pose and illumination. No approach has been reported on handling face localization errors and relatively few on overcoming facial occlusions, although the significant impact of these two variations on the performance has been proved and highlighted in many previous studies. Many texture and geometric features have been previously proposed for FER. However, few comparison studies have been conducted to explore the performance differences between different features and examine the performance improvement arisen from fusion of texture and geometry, especially on data with spontaneous emotions. The majority of existing approaches are evaluated on databases with posed or induced facial expressions collected in laboratory environments, whereas little attention has been paid on recognizing naturalistic facial expressions on real-world data. This thesis investigates techniques for building robust and high performance FER systems based on a number of established feature sets. It comprises of contributions towards three main objectives: (1) Robustness to face localization errors and facial occlusions. An approach is proposed to handle face localization errors and facial occlusions using Gabor based templates. Template extraction algorithms are designed to collect a pool of local template features and template matching is then performed to covert these templates into distances, which are robust to localization errors and occlusions. (2) Improvement of performance through feature comparison, selection and fusion. A comparative framework is presented to compare the performance between different features and different feature selection algorithms, and examine the performance improvement arising from fusion of texture and geometry. The framework is evaluated for both discrete and dimensional expression recognition on spontaneous data. (3) Evaluation of performance in the context of real-world applications. A system is selected and applied into discriminating posed versus spontaneous expressions and recognizing naturalistic facial expressions. A database is collected from real-world recordings and is used to explore feature differences between standard database images and real-world images, as well as between real-world images and real-world video frames. The performance evaluations are based on the JAFFE, CK, Feedtum, NVIE, Semaine and self-collected QUT databases. The results demonstrate high robustness of the proposed approach to the simulated localization errors and occlusions. Texture and geometry have different contributions to the performance of discrete and dimensional expression recognition, as well as posed versus spontaneous emotion discrimination. These investigations provide useful insights into enhancing robustness and achieving high performance of FER systems, and putting them into real-world applications.

From slum to suburbia : examining a spectrum of planned and unplanned urban morphology in humid sub-tropical regions of the world

The current rapid urban growth throughout the world manifests in various ways and historically cities have grown, similarly, alternately or simultaneously between planned extensions and organic informal settlements (Mumford, 1989). Within cities different urban morphological regions can reveal different contexts of economic growth and/or periods of dramatic social/technological change (Whitehand, 2001, 105). Morpho-typological study of alternate contexts can present alternative models and contribute to the present discourse which questions traditional paradigms of urban planning and design (Todes et al, 2010). In this study a series of cities are examined as a preliminary exploration into the urban morphology of cities in ‘humid subtropical’ climates. From an initial set of twenty, six cities were selected: Sao Paulo, Brazil; Jacksonville, USA; Maputo, Mozambique; Kanpur, India; Hong Kong, China; and Brisbane, Australia. The urban form was analysed from satellite imagery at a constant scale. Urban morphological regions (types) were identified as those demonstrating particular consistant characteristics of form (density, typology and pattern) different to their surroundings when examined at a constant scale. This analysis was correlated against existing data and literature discussing the proliferation of two types of urban development, ‘informal settlement’ (defined here as self-organised communities identifiable but not always synonymous with ‘slums’) and ‘suburbia’ (defined here as master planned communities of generally detached houses prevalent in western society) - the extreme ends of a hypothetical spectrum from ‘planned’ to ‘spontaneous’ urban development. Preliminary results show some cities contain a wide variety of urban form ranging from the highly organic ‘self-organised’ type to the highly planned ‘master planned community’ (in the case of Sao Paulo) while others tend to fall at one end of the planning spectrum or the other (more planned in the cases of Brisbane and Jacksonville; and both highly planned and highly organic in the case of Maputo). Further research will examine the social, economical and political drivers and controls which lead to this diversity or homogeneity of urban form and speculates on the role of self-organisation as a process for the adaptation of urban form.

The lived world of older urban Australians: relating everyday living to GPS tracking data

Neighbourhood like the concept of liveability is usually measured by either subjective indicators using surveys of residents’ perceptions or by objective means using secondary data or relative weights for objective indicators of the urban environment. Rarely, have objective and subjective indicators been related to one another in order to understand what constitutes a liveable urban neighbourhood both spatially and behaviourally. This paper explores the use of qualitative (diaries, in-depth interviews) and quantitative (Global Positioning Systems, Geographical Information Systems mapping) liveability research data to examine the perceptions and behaviour of 12 older residents living in six high density urban areas of Brisbane. Older urban Australians are one of the two principal groups highly attracted to high density urban living. The strength of the relationship between the qualitative and quantitative measures was examined. Results of the research indicate a weak relationship between subjective and objective indicators. Linking the two methods (quantitative and qualitative) is important in obtaining a greater understanding of human behaviour and the lived world of older urban Australians and in providing a wider picture of the urban neighbourhood.

Emergency department in hospitals, a window of the world : a preliminary comparison between Australia and China

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to make a preliminary comparison of emergency department (ED) presentations between Australia and China. The comparison could provide insights into the health systems and burden of diseases and potentially stimulate discussion about the development of acute health system in China. METHODS: An observational study was performed to compare Australian ED presentations using data obtained from a single adult tertiary-referral teaching hospital in metropolitan Brisbane against Chinese ED presentations using public domain information published in existing Chinese and international medical journals. RESULTS: There are major differences in ED presentations between Australia and China. In 2008, 1) 35.4% of patients arrived at a tertiary teaching hospital ED in Brisbane, Australia by ambulance; 2) 1.7% were treated for poisoning; 3) 1.4% for cerebral vascular disease; 4) 1.7% for cardiac disease; and 5) 42.6% for trauma. The top events diagnosed were mental health problems including general psychiatric examination, psychiatric review, alcohol abuse, and counselling for alcohol abuse, which accounted for 5.5% of all ED presentations. Among ED patients in China, 6.7% arrived at a tertiary teaching hospital by ambulance in Shenyang in 1997; 3.7% were treated for poisoning in Shanxi Zhouzhi County People's Hospital ED in 2006; 14.9% for cerebral vascular diseases at Qinghai People's Hospital ED in 1993-1995; 1.7% for cardiac diseases at the Second People's Hospital ED, Shenzhen Longgang in 1993; and 44.3% for trauma at Shanxi Zhouzhi County People's Hospital ED in 2006. The top events were trauma and poisoning among the young and cerebral infarction in the older population. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with Australian, Chinese ED patients had 1) lower ambulance usage; 2) higher proportion of poisoning; 3) higher proportion of cerebral vascular diseases; 4) similar proportion of cardiac disease; 5) similar proportion of trauma; and 6) little reported mental health problems. Possible explanations for these differences in China include a pay for service pre-hospital care system, lack of public awareness about poisons, inadequate hypertension management, and lack of recognition of mental health problems.

Battling in a virtual world: a proposal for increased copyright protection of multimedia products in Australia

This article discusses the adequacy of copyright protection afforded to multimedia products pursuant to the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth) and in response to international obligations. The paper critically evaluates the effect that the most recent amendments to the Copyright Act have had on the protection of copyright in multimedia products. An outline of some practical measures of protection available to copyright owners as alternatives or complements to the current statutory regime is provided, ultimately concluding that the current legislative protection is ineffective. The paper closes by considering possible future reform by way of statutory amendments to the Copyright Act aimed at increasing protection of copyright in multimedia products.

Porno? Chic!: how pornography changed the world and made it a better place

Porno? Chic! examines the relationship between the proliferation of pornography and sexualised culture in the West and social and cultural trends which have advanced the rights of women and homosexuals. Brian McNair addresses this relationship with an analysis of trends in sexualised culture since 2002 linked to a transnational analysis of change in sexual politics and sex/gender relations in a range of societies, from the sexually liberalised societies of advanced capitalism to those in which women and homosexuals remain tightly controlled by authoritarian, patriarchal regimes. In this accessible, jargon-free book, Brian McNair examines why those societies in which sexualised culture is the most liberalised and pervasive are also those in which the socio-economic and political rights of women and homosexuals have advanced the most.

Collective dynamics and control of a 3-D small-world network with time delays

The paper presents a detailed analysis on the collective dynamics and delayed state feedback control of a three-dimensional delayed small-world network. The trivial equilibrium of the model is first investigated, showing that the uncontrolled model exhibits complicated unbounded behavior. Then three control strategies, namely a position feedback control, a velocity feedback control, and a hybrid control combined velocity with acceleration feedback, are then introduced to stabilize this unstable system. It is shown in these three control schemes that only the hybrid control can easily stabilize the 3-D network system. And with properly chosen delay and gain in the delayed feedback path, the hybrid controlled model may have stable equilibrium, or periodic solutions resulting from the Hopf bifurcation, or complex stranger attractor from the period-doubling bifurcation. Moreover, the direction of Hopf bifurcation and stability of the bifurcation periodic solutions are analyzed. The results are further extended to any "d" dimensional network. It shows that to stabilize a "d" dimensional delayed small-world network, at least a "d – 1" order completed differential feedback is needed. This work provides a constructive suggestion for the high dimensional delayed systems.

Chinese fashion designers in Shanghai : identifying a fresh perspective about their role in the world order of fashion

Shanghai possesses an apt legacy, once referred to as “Paris of the East”. Municipal aspirations for Shanghai to assume a position among the great fashion cities of the world have been integrated in the recent re-shaping of this modern city into a role model for Chinese creative enterprise yet China is still known primarily as centre of clothing production. Increasingly however, “Made in China” is being replaced by “Created in China” drawing attention to two distinct consumer markets for Chinese designers. Fashion designers who have entered the global fashion system for education or by showing their collections have generally adopted a design aesthetic that aligns with Western markets, allowing little competitive advantage. In contrast, Chinese designers who rest their attention on the domestic Chinese market find a disparate, highly competitive marketplace. The pillars of authenticity that for foreign fashion brands extend far into their cultural and creative histories, often for many decades in the case of Louis Vuitton, Hermes and Christian Dior do not yet exist in China in this era of rapid globalisation. Here, the cultural bedrock allows these same pillars to extend only thirty years or so into the past reaching the moments when Deng Xiaoping granted China’s creative entrepreneurs passage. To this end, interviews with fashion designers in Shanghai have been undertaken during the last twelve months for a PhD dissertation. Production of culture theory has been used to identify working methods, practices of production and the social and cultural milieu necessary for designers to achieve viability. Preliminary findings indicate that some fashion designers have adopted an as-yet unexplored strategy of business and brand development with a distinct Chinese aesthetic at its core, in contrast to the clichéd cultural iconography often viewed by Western viewers as representative of Chinese creativity.

On being balanced in an unbalanced world

This paper examines the case of a procurement auction for a single project, in which the breakdown of the winning bid into its component items determines the value of payments subsequently made to bidder as the work progresses. Unbalanced bidding, or bid skewing, involves the uneven distribution of mark-up among the component items in such a way as to attempt to derive increased benefit to the unbalancer but without involving any change in the total bid. One form of unbalanced bidding for example, termed Front Loading (FL), is thought to be widespread in practice. This involves overpricing the work items that occur early in the project and underpricing the work items that occur later in the project in order to enhance the bidder's cash flow. Naturally, auctioners attempt to protect themselves from the effects of unbalancing—typically reserving the right to reject a bid that has been detected as unbalanced. As a result, models have been developed to both unbalance bids and detect unbalanced bids but virtually nothing is known of their use, success or otherwise. This is of particular concern for the detection methods as, without testing, there is no way of knowing the extent to which unbalanced bids are remaining undetected or balanced bids are being falsely detected as unbalanced. This paper reports on a simulation study aimed at demonstrating the likely effects of unbalanced bid detection models in a deterministic environment involving FL unbalancing in a Texas DOT detection setting, in which bids are deemed to be unbalanced if an item exceeds a maximum (or fails to reach a minimum) ‘cut-off’ value determined by the Texas method. A proportion of bids are automatically and maximally unbalanced over a long series of simulated contract projects and the profits and detection rates of both the balancers and unbalancers are compared. The results show that, as expected, the balanced bids are often incorrectly detected as unbalanced, with the rate of (mis)detection increasing with the proportion of FL bidders in the auction. It is also shown that, while the profit for balanced bidders remains the same irrespective of the number of FL bidders involved, the FL bidder's profit increases with the greater proportion of FL bidders present in the auction. Sensitivity tests show the results to be generally robust, with (mis)detection rates increasing further when there are fewer bidders in the auction and when more data are averaged to determine the baseline value, but being smaller or larger with increased cut-off values and increased cost and estimate variability depending on the number of FL bidders involved. The FL bidder's expected benefit from unbalancing, on the other hand, increases, when there are fewer bidders in the auction. It also increases when the cut-off rate and discount rate is increased, when there is less variability in the costs and their estimates, and when less data are used in setting the baseline values.

Pinteresque puppets and masters weave dark tales of a dystopic world

A HARBINGER is a messenger, foreshadowing what is to come. This adult fairytale, told with a cast of human actors and 22 puppets, foretells the story of a little girl found in the shadows of countless books in the library of a character known as the Old Man.

Literacy for a sustainable world

This chapter describes the ways in which primary school teachers design curriculum to develop children's knowledge about sustainability. Such a curriculum is highly engaging and provides enhanced motivation for children to engage with complex reading and writing as they attempt to represent what they have learned and communicate this to the wider community. The chapter introduces key terms including place-based pedagogy, sustainability and critical literacy and shows how these ideas can be brought together in classrooms.